The slow running of six-time Ironman winner

The benefits of slow running have been known to professionals for a long time, but the topic keeps raising questions for amateur runners.

Slow running is a proven way to “boost” your heart and other muscles. Yes! The heart is the runner’s main muscle. The slow running is aimed to strengthen it.

Mark Allen, one of the greatest triathletes in history, the six-time Ironman winner, was one of the first to figure out the essence of slow running. In his schedule, this kind of running took up around 80% among his activities. Most long-distance runners today tend to train in the same way.

Slow running is the kind of running at a pace at which you can talk on the phone and you will definitely be understood “on the other end of the line.” It is also called “сonversational tempo” running.

So,why do you need slow running and what can it give to you?

1. Slow running makes you a faster person and helps to build your endurance. Such workouts last from 1 to 3 hours
2. Running slowly teaches your body to consume a minimum amount of energy for a long time while running. Besides the pure benefits of running, it makes you lean and lose weight.
3. Slow running minimizes the risk of running injuries and muscle soreness — makes your joints and ligaments stronger.
4. Slow running is one of the simplest biohacking methods: it prolongs your active life, reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks, ensuring health and longevity.
5. Slow running is the perfect way to get the maximum dose of endorphins — the hormone of happiness. It is especially well produced in the body during slow running. Endorphins is the thing that creates the state of “runner’s high” or running ecstasy.

Slow running has only one disadvantage — your results will be envied by those who immediately move too fast during their workouts. By the way, Mark Allan’s slow pace is 5:15 min / km. At the same time, the result of his marathon run at the Ironman distance is 2:42:09 (marathon pace 3:50 min / km). What is your slow running pace?

Here is the list of Mark Allan awards:

• Six-time Ironman World Champion (1989–1995);
• ITU world champion (Olympic distance, 1989);
• Won 20 races in a row from 1988 to 1990 on different distances;
• Won prizes in 90% of the races in which he participated.